Innovation and Influence
Research in Practice. Experiential by Design. Powered by Students.
What happens when research, education, industry, and opportunity come together?
You get a community where ideas move beyond the classroom.
The Fall 2026 edition of Innovation & Influence captures a Department of Management defined by that connection, faculty advancing research that shapes conversations in management, students applying what they learn to real organizations and real challenges, and alumni and industry partners helping create opportunities that extend far beyond campus.
Across the department, faculty continue to contribute scholarship to some of the field’s leading journals, with research exploring entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, leadership, organizational behavior, strategy, innovation, and the future of work. At the same time, excellence in teaching, mentorship, and service continues to strengthen the experience we create for students.
But the story of Management at Virginia Tech isn’t told through research and recognition alone.
It is also found in what students are doing with what they learn.
Management Consulting and Analytics students worked directly with organizations ranging from a venture-backed cybersecurity company to an alumni-founded startup and an international nonprofit—conducting research, analyzing markets, solving problems, and delivering strategies designed to create measurable impact.
Students built professional skills through industry-recognized certifications and connected directly with executives, alumni, and business leaders through networking, workshops, and career programming.
That same spirit shows up in student leadership.
Management students were recognized across Virginia Tech and Pamplin for service, leadership, global engagement, innovation, and academic achievement. At the 2026 Pamplin Students of Distinction Ceremony alone, Management students earned 13 of the 51 awards presented.
And none of it happens in isolation.
Alumni, Advisory Board members, employers, and community partners continue to become part of the educational experience—mentoring students, sharing their expertise, opening doors, and helping us better connect what happens in the classroom with what is happening in the world of business.
Programs such as Day in the Life, Classroom Conversations, Opportunity Outlook, professional certifications, consulting projects, and Speed Networking are creating more opportunities for students to explore careers, build relationships, develop skills, and see where their education can take them.
That is the bigger story behind this edition of Innovation & Influence.
Research informs practice. Experience reinforces learning. Partnership creates opportunity. And students turn all of it into impact.
As we look toward another semester, we remain focused on building a Department of Management where great research, exceptional teaching, experiential learning, and meaningful relationships come together to prepare the next generation of leaders.